Seven new species of Meta C. L. Koch, 1836 (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) from Southwest China Author Wang, Lu-Yu 6C219212-8F77-4037-949C-1F17B252BFCE Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. wangluyu1989@163.com Author Irfan, Muhammad 81552C4A-93FC-4B6E-8EA1-0B4E38CC6466 Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. irfanuos94@yahoo.com Author Chen, Hui-Ming 0B0FF1C7-C0A8-4836-B5D0-019F290EB663 Guizhou Institute of Biology, Guiyang 550009, China. mei0601@126.com;zhangzs327@qq.com Author Zhang, Zhi-Sheng 91F0C98D-A307-431A-BAAD-9691F014E6BA Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. mei0601@126.com;zhangzs327@qq.com text European Journal of Taxonomy 2022 2022-08-22 834 117 147 http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2022.834.1905 journal article 128002 10.5852/ejt.2022.834.1905 4c24df32-5d1d-468e-a85a-e8c8ae263477 2118-9773 7017596 508297E3-787B-4B87-8C51-FCB35BB1D652 Meta tibet sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BD6EDAAA-FAF4-4420-990A-6F7BA3B68EFD Figs 1H–I , 13–15 , 22 Differential diagnosis The male of this new species resembles M. bowo sp. nov. ( Figs 2–4 ) and M. cona sp. nov. ( Figs 5–7 ), in having the similar abruptly thin embolus and conductor of male palp, but can be distinguished from both species by the following characters: cymbial ectobasal process V-shaped and distal end of metaine embolic apophysis oval in M. tibet sp. nov. ( Figs 13B–C , 14B–D ). The female of M. tibet sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other congeners by the spermathecae globular, situated anteriorly ( Figs 13D–E , 15A–B ). Etymology The epithet refers to the type locality. Type material Holotype CHINA • ♂ ; Tibet , Gyirong County , Gyirong Town , near Kaire waterfall ; 28°29′2.68″ N , 85°13′25.45″ E ; alt. 3143 m ; 1 Aug. 2020 ; L.Y. Wang , T. Yuan , P. Liu and Y.M. Hou leg.; SWUC-T-TEg-06-01 . Paratypes CHINA • 3 ♂♂ ; same collection data as for holotype; SWUC-T-TEg-06-02–04 • 5 ♀♀ ; same collection data as for preceding; SWUC-T-TEg-06-05–09 • 1 ♂ ; Gyirong County , Gyirong Town , Riwubanba ; 28°28.317′ N , 85°13.735′ E ; alt. 3233 m ; 15 Jul. 2018 ; L.Y. Wang , Z.S. Wu and Y.N. Mu leg.; SWUC- T-TEg-06-10 . Description Male ( holotype , Fig. 1H ) MEASUREMENTS. Total length 9.32. Prosoma 4.18 long, 3.42 wide; opisthosoma 5.50 long, 3.43 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.21, ALE 0.23, PME 0.26, PLE 0.23; AME–AME 0.18, AME– ALE 0.29, PME–PME 0.19, PME–PLE 0.29, ALE–PLE 0.07. MOA 0.70 long, front width 0.65, back width 0.69. Clypeus height 0.29. CHELICERAE. Strong, with 3 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. LEG MEASUREMENTS. I = 28.68 (7.07, 9.69, 8.69, 3.23); II = 21.24 (5.53, 7.63, 5.79, 2.29); III = 12.45 (3.78, 4.09, 3.10, 1.48); IV = 16.59 (5.18, 5.46, 4.38, 1.57). Leg formula: 1243. Fig. 13. Meta tibet sp. nov. A–C . ♂, holotype (SWUC-T-TEg-06-01). D–E . ♀, paratype (SWUC-T- TEg-06-05). A . Left palp, prolateral view. B . Same, ventral view. C . Same, retrolateral view. D . Epigyne, ventral view. E . Vulva, dorsal view. Fig. 14. Meta tibet sp. nov. A–D . ♂, holotype (SWUC-T-TEg-06-01). E . ♂, paratype (SWUC-T- TEg-06-02). A . Left palp, prolateral view. B . Same, ventral view. C . Same, retrolateral view. D . Same, dorsal view. E . Embolus and metaine embolic apophysis, dorsal view. OPISTHOSOMA. Oval, with two pairs of sigillae. Both dorsum and venter brown, with white and black markings. Fig. 15. Meta tibet sp. nov. , ♀, paratype (SWUC-T-TEg-06-05). A . Epigyne, ventral view. B . Vulva, dorsal view. PALP ( Figs 13A–B , 14A–E ). Cymbial ectobasal process simple, V-shaped with sharp tooth and pointed end. Paracymbium finger-like, narrow towards tip, with sparse long hairs. Metaine embolic apophysis with distal end oval, extending forward. EMBOLUS. Short, abruptly thin with fine tip. Conductor strong, arc-shaped, arising meso-retrolaterally from bulb and extending clockwise, longer than wide, with membranous end. Female ( paratype SWUC-T-TEg-06-05, Fig. 1I ) MEASUREMENTS. Total length 10.05. Prosoma 4.48 long, 3.41 wide; opisthosoma 5.50 long, 4.28 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.23, ALE 0.26, PME 0.25, PLE 0.24; AME–AME 0.19, AME– ALE 0.30, PME–PME 0.19, PME–PLE 0.34, ALE–PLE 0.07. MOA 0.72 long, front width 0.65, back width 0.71. Clypeus height 0.35. LEG MEASUREMENTS. I = 21.78 (5.78, 7.67, 5.94, 2.39); II = 16.88 (4.76, 5.71, 4.52, 1.89); III = 10.41 (3.22, 3.38, 2.55, 1.26); IV = 14.03 (4.32, 4.69, 3.73, 1.29). Leg formula: 1243. Other morphological characteristics same as in male. EPIGYNE ( Figs 13D–E , 15A–B ). Posterior margin of epigynal plate with inconspicuous sclerotized depression. VULVA. Spermathecae globular, situated anteriorly. Fertilization ducts thick, S-shaped. Distribution China , Tibet (Gyirong) ( Fig. 22 ).